Rockford rethinks Amtrak train station site

ROCKFORD — A temporary Amtrak train station on Seventh Street in the city’s Midtown district, which would have cost nearly $8 million to develop, has been nixed.

Instead, Amtrak service to Chicago will rely on a temporary platform on the west side of the Rock River in the area of South Main and Cedar streets.

“We suggested strongly, and the (Department of Transportation) has agreed with us, that what makes the most sense is not to make an investment in a temporary station because it would need multiple millions of dollars,” said Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey.

The Illinois Department of Transportation said one round trip a day between the two cities will begin by the end of 2015. A second round trip will be added in 2016. Work on upgrading the tracks and intersection for train service has not started. IDOT says it is still in the design phase.

Gov. Pat Quinn announced in April that the state would invest $223 million to bring Amtrak to Rockford through Boone and McHenry counties. Included in the budget was $7.85 million for a temporary station at 703 Seventh St. that would be used until a permanent station was built west of the river.

Morrissey feared that investing millions on a temporary station would make it more difficult to find funding for a permanent station west of the river, near the $53 million hotel-conference center that Gorman & Co. is expected to open in 2016 near South Main and Cedar streets.

The state hoped to extend Amtrak service through Freeport to the Mississippi River, but after two years hasn’t been able to strike a deal with the Canadian National Railway, which owns tracks west of the city. For two years the state and Canadian National negotiated for rights to use Canadian National tracks between Chicago and Dubuque, Iowa. But this spring the state decided instead to use Union Pacific tracks to bring service to Rockford, while working toward a deal with the Canadian National Railway for service west of Rockford.

“The goal all along is to get to Dubuque, Iowa,” Morrissey said. “You have to cross the Rock River. Let’s do it now.”

IDOT Spokeswoman Paris Ervin said the state will contribute $10 million for the station project, and Rockford agreed to contribute $5.5 million.

Morrissey said a train station, permanent or temporary, will require parking. As part of its development agreement of the former Amerock with Gorman, the city is already planning enough parking on the west side of the river to support the train station. And it has been acquiring land.

Allen Murphy of Murphy Transfer said he received an eminent domain letter two months ago from the city regarding property at 514 S. Church St. He said the company sold former a railroad freight house, and property to the city which he said would be used for parking.

Murphy said his company still has property along Cedar Street and hopes the proposed station spurs development in what was once part of a bustling corridor.

“We said we wanted to partner with them,” Murphy said. “I’m an old Rockford kid. I want to see this stuff come back. It’s a simple as that.”

While the decision is good for downtown west of the river, a temporary station would have been beneficial to the Midtown District.

“That’s a shame,” said Brad Roos, president of the Midtown District. “Anytime you’ve got economic activity that’s a good thing. It would have been a boost to the micro economy here.”